We always keep an eye on celebrity estate planning cases because you can learn a lot from the successes and failures of others. Along these lines, we recently passed along some news about the estate of the deceased comedic actor Sherman Hemsley.
A Philadelphia resident stepped forward to stand in the way of Hemsley’s longtime partner Flora Enchinton receiving an inheritance and having the ability to put Hemsley’s body to rest. This individual claims to be Hemsley’s brother.
Enchinton lived with the actor for some 10 years and says that their relationship goes back two decades. She says that Hemsley never mentioned having a brother during all this time and throughout all of the countless conversations that they had over the years.
Hemsley did have the foresight to execute a last will leaving everything to Enchinton. In spite of the existence of this document that clearly states Hemsley’s wishes, a trial date has been set.
The individual challenging the estate, Richard Thornton, will be able to start making his case on October 31 in El Paso, Texas, which is where Hemsley resided with Enchinton. The probate court judge has ordered Thornton to undergo DNA testing.
When you execute a simple last will without being focused on the prevention of potential challenges, it is important to recognize the fact that individuals can suddenly emerge out of nowhere to challenge your final wishes.
There are ways to transfer assets in a more foolproof manner. If you would like to gain an understanding of your options, simply take a moment to arrange for a consultation with an experienced Campbell CA estate planning lawyer.
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